Brian James Fitzpatrick and Damian Maffei share a love of film - especially horror film - and a work ethic rooted in punk rock. They are literate, quirky, and ambitious - qualities already apparent in their still-gestating feature film project, THE EVENTS SURROUNDING A PEEPING TOM & THE HORROR THAT FOLLOWED.

I talk with Fitzpatrick and Maffei about the inspiration for their upcoming thriller, the psychology of the peeping tom, how they approached their Kickstarter campaign, and much more...

Google the phrase, and you'll see that most of the results have to do with screenwriting. Which makes sense, because on the surface it seems that screenwriting should be something you could do from anywhere. Right?

Well, no. And yes. Maybe. But, well, no. And yes.

Just listen, and I'll take you on a quick tour of the possibilities open to you when you commit to a film career OUTSIDE of Hollywood.

In this episode, I share observations - some painful, all true - from my tenure in the Facebook Screenwriting group. This group of 13,000 mostly aspiring screenwriters can be seen as a microcosm of the greater screenwriting community. Most, if not all, sincerely believe they've got what it takes to succeed as professional screenwriters - but only a very few actually do.

What makes the difference? Why do some make it, while the vast majority fail? How do 99% (or more) of aspiring screenwriters disqualify themselves right out of the gate?

This is part two of the first Anywhere But Hollywood case study. Writer-director James B. Cox was the subject of our second episode. Back in September, I interviewed him about the successful Kickstarter campaign for his first feature film, Crichton-esque techno-thriller CTRL ALT DELETE.

Now the movie has been shot. It's in the can. Join me as I talk with James about his experience as first-time feature film director.

After many years in the banking industry, Mara Lesemann took an abrupt left turn to become a screenwriter and film producer. She'd never written creatively before, and had had no previous experience in the film industry. Now she's got a feature film under her belt (you can watch it on Amazon or iTunes), and another in production.

So how DOES one suddenly go from a decades-long financial services career to a brand new life as an east coast mini-mogul?

The BLUE BORSALINO Kickstarter campaign reached its goal of £10,000.00 (more than $15,000.00) in just four days. As of this writing, the total stands at £16,416 (nearly $25,000) - and the campaign has still got 16 days to go. This is an astounding success.

Why? What is it about this apparently modest short film that has attracted such attention?

According to legend, thousands of young boys were abducted from the streets of New York in the 1970s and 80s, and taken to an underground bunker in Montauk, Long Island. There they were subjected to bizarre mind control experiments, and - some say - far worse. This is a story straight out of The X-Files - replete with aliens, time travel, and conspiracy.

Christopher Garetano discusses the technical challenges involved in realizing his passion project - but more important, he discusses what happens when a filmmaker opens his mind to the darkest aspects of human nature.

In this episode I check in on the production of WEREWOLVES IN HEAT, an unapologetic sexploitation horror comedy featuring hairy, slobbering men and hairier, slobbering women. (Actually, the women are "tastefully" adorned in judiciously applied patches of fake fur.)

Join me and my guest writer/director/editor Lance Polland for an entertaining look at the making of this low-brow blood 'n' boobs extravaganza.